Ravi Speaks:
Updated on 08.08.2022.
Dear friends:- I am reproducing an article from my published book-“38 Years Of Selling” here again. Only the good and cheerful things are not remembered always, but certainly unusual happenings also go deep into your psyche & often occur in your mind. This article is also like that odd thing -which I thought would be appropriate in conveying one simple message that one must not rely heavily on his exclusive expectations but be always prepared for any eventual unusual turn of events. Enjoy the read.
In the article, the celebrations of the occasion were not done in a manner as they should be normally celebrated. It was the only occasion for me to get the felicitation for completing 25 years of service and I had a great expectation that the whole team, along with my GM, would enjoy every moment of the occasion. But this had not happened and the whole thing passed off as if some formality was to be done and, once the item on the agenda was over, the next topic was touched more gloomily. I had taken it seriously and later when the matter was raised out of inner guilt by the concerned GM- I had to clear all the points in front of the CEO and in return, GM too got his due message.
My 25 years tenure completion in 2007-
Felicitated Uniquely
The Word ‘Felicitation’ Not Being Used Frequently
When writing “King Lear”, William Shakespeare was probably pleased when he thought of the word ‘felicitate’ as an adjective meaning “made happily,” but not everyone took a shine to it and it fell into disuse. However, people were happy to pick up “felicitate” as a verb, meaning “to make happy.” That meaning is now considered archaic, but it was the seed for other meanings of the word. “Felicitate” eventually grew to mean “to consider happy or fortunate” and “to congratulate.” Surely for the occasions like completion of one’s long tenure as per his service records or completion of a certain long number of years as the milestone-the same word “Felicitation” holds good and the happiness and gratitude normally being expressed from the organizational side is the normal course in such a celebration.
In My Case- ‘Felicitation’ Had Lost Its Meaning
Similar thoughts really go to certain occasions, which are remembered for longer periods and such thoughts provoke me to jot down my feelings on such occasions-which normally would be joyful and cherishing-but that was not the case with me in my celebrations.
In the year 2007, somewhere in the middle of the sales year, say around October-there was a meeting organized by the whole Delhi Team in Delhi. In this meeting, my GM had also come. On this day, he was sent by the HO to present me the Plaque with the etchings of my picture with the citation and other prizes associated with the occasion of my completing the twenty-five years of service with The Himalaya Drug Company.
Normally since it was a celebration type of occasion-things could have been happier around, but right in the morning, my GM came and started shouting at me and my managers. The reason for that was the wrong selection of the hotel for the meeting venue. The beauty was that the venue was already discussed with him earlier and the same was booked accordingly. Since there was no availability of the normal hotel which we used to book because of the short notice given. He started reprimanding the seniors, saying that the people were not serious and responsive enough for the smaller things to be taken care of and indirectly being the SM and that way head of even the Delhi team-it was all being conveyed to me. I became very sad and especially disturbed too because it seemed as if my completion of twenty-five years somehow was not being taken as a happy occasion.
The Meeting Started Dully And In A Gloomy Way
In the morning, the meeting started normally with the welcome address and the review of the past month’s performance and then the GM came and he delivered his brief as well. But in his speech, it was very clear that he was not happy and wanted to cough out a bit of a sadistic atmosphere around-which I felt was being done deliberately trying to convey the annoyance for reasons not known to me then. The morning Tea break was at around 10.30 AM and we all took tea I tried to know the reason for such an approach from our GM. I went to him while we were taking tea and he still was keeping the same annoying mood and trying to avoid talking to all the managers and me. I too did not think it advisable to touch this topic and even go near him since I have been seriously keeping myself away from the sycophants around. This was perhaps one of the weakest points in my personality that I did not know which side of the bread was to be buttered and believed always in my work and delivering my services with utmost sincerity-for which even today people would vouch for.
My GM Did It For The Formality’s Sake Only: –
After the tea break in the morning, finally, that moment came when he had to announce my completion of twenty-five years of services with the company. He then presented a plaque with my picture engraved on the wooden plaque along with the citation on it. He also presented a dummy cheque of Rs. Twenty-five thousand as the prize money for the occasion. After the presentations-I was told to say a few words on that occasion. I tried to gather my normal self-expression of even allowing any fractional annoyance or discomfort to come in my approach and delivery of the talk. I thanked the organization and the people around me for the full cooperation extended during this tenure and also the top management for giving me the responsibilities from time to time and related one of two very interesting happenings during my tenure of so many years. Finally, after around six to seven minutes of my brief talk, I closed and thanked all my colleagues in Delhi, in particular, for their full love and help extended. After I finished my talk, my GM was forced to say a few words on that occasion, much against his will to do so since he had a right from the morning of the meeting to create a scene which was not at all joyful at least. He hardly talked for a couple of minutes. Immediately after that, he started the normal agenda points of the meeting. On the whole, I did not enjoy the real essence of celebration-which I felt was deliberately spoiled.
The Other Participants Too Felt Something Unusual Happening
During lunchtime, my Zonal Manager came to me and was very candid in expressing his feeling by saying that he appreciated my speech so much despite all the odds and reprimanding being done that it had infused confidence in him as well. I started feeling terrible since the people in the meeting too realized the situation and even came to me to express their feelings as well.
Somehow the meeting ended in the evening and after all the boys had gone, I had a detailed discussion with the GM again where he was very critical about the behavior of some boys in the meeting and was only trying to prove his point that he was not happy at all. I too realized that he would not change at least his stance for that day and finally I took his leave and went back to my residence.
This “25-Year Celebration” Would Be Remembered For Good
This occasion somehow would always haunt me as if something wrong was done on that day, even though it was an occasion to celebrate. Things went on normally for around a month and finally, the bigger cycle meets in the Radisson Hotel in Delhi came. In this meeting, the CEO also came along with the GM.
The Inner Guilt Of GM Made Him To React In Front Of the CEO
I was having this strong feeling that the GM would call me separately to have a chat with the CEO and he might even raise a few points to prove my inefficiency as well but the beauty was that the reason for his such a drama was not known. The same thing happened exactly. At around 11.00 AM I was called out of the meeting hall and was made to meet the CEO outside in the lobby where the GM started raising certain points related to the improper handling of affairs by me the CEO.
The CEO Too Agreed About The GM’s Fault: –
The moment he touched it, I immediately reacted to his statements and told the CEO about the happenings of the earlier meeting when my 25-year celebration was marred and I was reprimanded. I even asked the CEO if such acts have diluted the powers of the SM because all those things were done in front of the subordinates of the SM. How do you expect the SM to have the authority if the SM was shouted at in front of the whole team?
To this, the CEO agreed and told the GM to be cautious and ensure that whatever he had to discuss or convey -he should do it all separately and not in front of many people. The poor GM thought he would again rally against me and this time takes the CEO along since he was very close to the CEO-unfortunately had to listen to my part of the story also for which he was not at all prepared or even expecting that I too could talk and talk. With which he was taken aback.
Anyway, The Fervour Of The Celebration Could Not Be Revived
Anyway, such happenings occur everywhere-what we call the professional eddy currents and they need to be happening at certain intervals. Only then the aberrations are sorted out and brought back onto the tracks. I had to relate this only because I am always reminded of my silver-jubilee function -which had met such an unusual reception and I will always bless my GM for his act of immaturity done on such an occasion. Authorities are never forced but made to be realized and used for the purposeful outcome-only then are the men with authority respected. Otherwise, people pray for sanity to be given to the people with authority so that it is not misused.